


Affirmation

by starbuck92



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: Epiphanies, Episode Tag, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-24
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2018-02-06 02:42:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1841326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starbuck92/pseuds/starbuck92
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He found himself spending more and more time with her, if only to convince himself that she was still here. Still a part of his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Affirmation

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [karihan](http://karihan.livejournal.com) and [lisayaeger](http://lisayaeger.livejournal.com) for the beta! And this one was inspired by a clip [livilla](http://livilla.livejournal.com) shared back when the promos for Season 2.5 began airing. Armchair fic! 
> 
> Disclaimer: They belong to the amazing Ron Moore, not me!
> 
> Originally posted at [starbuck92](http://starbuck92.livejournal.com) on January 9 2006.

Bill Adama watched with wry amusement as Laura Roslin restlessly paced the deck of her office aboard _Colonial One_ in front of him. For the last half hour, she had listened patiently as he informed her of the various issues and goings-on throughout the fleet that she was only now catching up on after pulling through her illness.  
  
Laura had remained calm and attentive for much of the conversation, but as the discussion veered toward the manner in which Dr. Baltar had handled some of the situations, her irritation had sparked. She had abruptly risen from her seat, allowing her dissatisfaction with her vice president to bubble to the surface.  
  
Her choice words were nothing to smile at, but Bill couldn't help feeling happy at seeing her moving around with such fervor. It was a welcome change to how she had appeared only a scant few weeks ago, when she laid a hairsbreadth away from death. The memories of her pained face and weakening body were still so fresh that he found himself spending more and more time with her, if only to convince himself that she was still here.  
  
Still a part of his life.  
  
As she walked by him muttering something particularly insulting about Dr. Baltar, he caught her by the sleeve and gently tugged her toward him. She fell easily into his waiting lap, her outburst immediately silenced by the unexpected move.  
  
Bill caressed her arm through her suit sleeve, looking into her surprised eyes. "If you keep this up, you're going to tire yourself out."  
  
Her eyes narrowed slightly for a moment before a hint of a smile played across her lips. "I thought we agreed you weren't going to coddle me?"  
  
He had no answer to that. Smiling broadly, he lowered his eyes, guilty as charged.  
  
She chuckled softly and settled herself more comfortably in his lap, snuggling closer. "I swear, sometimes you're worse than Billy."  
  
A mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes as he slid his arms around her waist. "Madame President, I think there are some things I give you that would make Billy blush straight down to his toes."  
  
He only allowed her a second to process the implications of the statement, stifling a laugh as her jaw dropped ever so slightly, before he leaned forward and softly touched his lips to hers.  
  
Almost immediately, Bill felt the muscles in her lower back stiffen abruptly beneath his hands. Fearing he had pushed her too far, too fast, he quickly pulled away, prepared to apologize for making her uncomfortable, but the look on her face derailed his train of thought.  
  
Gone was the professional mask of the President of the Twelve Colonies, the strong and unwavering leader of all that was left of humanity and his staunch ally in the fight for survival. In her place, he found a vulnerable, uncertain woman, who remained as much a mystery to him probably as much as she was to herself.  
  
In the last few weeks, he had caught a few glimpses of the real Laura Roslin, the gifted teacher who had loved to cook and paint and listen to jazz. The one with the easy, gentle smile that readily collapsed into a fit of schoolgirl-like giggles during his occasional bouts of self-deprecating humor. The woman who had confessed to him her deepest hopes and fears for the future of their people, entrusting him to carry on her vision when she left this life behind.  
  
Laura had bestowed upon him the privilege of seeing a side of her no one else in the fleet would likely ever become acquainted with, let alone know existed, and he held on to that honor with an iron grip. The doubt and wariness they had carried around one another for so long was all but forgotten, paved over by the understanding that had steadily matured in the wake of the events on the surface of Kobol and the struggle through the worst of Laura's cancer.  
  
He started slightly, shaken from his reverie, when he felt the gentle pressure of long, slim fingers. Bill remained perfectly still, silently watching Laura as he allowed her the freedom to carefully explore the planes of his face, secretly enjoying the sensation of her smooth fingertips dancing on his skin.  
  
Her eyes eventually returned to his, meeting his gaze much in the way she faced everything else in her life: fearless, determined. But he knew her far better than the time she had first set foot on his ship a lifetime ago. The earlier uncertainty was still there, tucked away beneath the layers of invulnerability and control she projected to the rest of the fleet.  
  
Here, resting in his arms, locking her eyes with his, she could not hide her emotions from him.  
  
He hoped she knew she didn't have to.  
  
Slowly, Bill reached up, the palm of his hand cupping her cheek, his thumb lightly stroking the warm skin of her face. Little by little, he felt her body relax, the tautness of her posture slackening as he continued his loving caress. He maintained eye contact with her, his expression showing nothing but his warmth and affection for her and his yearning for her to trust him with her heart.  
  
His attention was so focused on her face that he was completely taken by surprise when he felt her hand reach up to clasp his own, her fingers clutching at his. A slight smile quirked her lips and brightened her eyes, no doubt the result of her ability to catch him off his guard.  
  
Bill laughed quietly, lowering his eyes and shaking his head in wonder. "Laura, I swear, one of these days –"  
  
Before he realized what was happening, her lips were pressed to his, and all coherent thought vanished from his mind. Closing his eyes, he lost himself in the sensations, and everything but Laura faded into the background of his awareness.  
  
All of his concentration centered on the woman in his arms, his senses sharply attuned to every action, every sound, and every movement she made.  
  
The slight tightening of her fingers curled against the nape of his neck, the soft sounds reverberating from the back of her throat, the way she tilted her mouth just enough to invite his searching tongue inside, deepening the kiss beyond anything they had previously shared.  
  
The need for oxygen eventually caught up to them, and they parted reluctantly, gasping for air. The quiet hum of _Colonial One_ 's engines was a distant, soothing sound in their ears as they returned to themselves in the aftermath of their passion.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Bill opened his eyes to find her only mere inches away from him, her eyes still closed as she worked to catch her breath. He seized the opportunity to study her unabashedly, taking in her brightly flushed face and kiss-swollen lips.  
  
Gods, she looked so healthy, so beautiful.  
  
So alive.  
  
Swallowing the sudden lump in his throat, he reached up and brushed her bangs from her forehead before he carefully threaded his hand in her long auburn hair. Laura sighed quietly as the tips of his fingers lightly massaged her scalp, the corners of her mouth lifting in content.  
  
Unable to help himself, he closed the distance between them once more, tenderly pressing his lips to hers for a brief, gentle kiss.  
  
Her eyes slowly opened as he pulled away from her, and she gazed at him earnestly, making him frown in confusion.  
  
Something was different.  
  
Tilting his head to one side, he carefully observed her, trying to pinpoint what that something was. It took him a moment to figure out, but the realization soon hit him straight in the chest.  
  
The buried uncertainty he had previously detected in her eyes had vanished as if it had never been. Unconditional trust and love flourished in its place, making her glow with a happiness he had not been privy to in his time knowing her.  
  
Smiling openly now, he gently eased her forward and kissed her forehead, his heart nearly bursting with the effort of holding back the words he wanted to say. This aspect of their relationship was still so new to both of them; he did not want to run the risk of moving things too fast for either of them. Deep down, he knew how much he loved her, and he suspected she felt the same, but right now he was content to discover the woman behind the presidential image one day at a time.  
  
Sensing that she had indeed exhausted herself with her pacing and their intense kissing session, he drew her closer, silently insisting she rest against him. She complied without protest, tucking her head beneath his chin, burrowing into the warmth of his body. Keeping one arm securely wrapped around her waist, he raised the other to rub comforting circles across her back, listening as her breathing gradually evened out.  
  
Certain that sleep had claimed her, he leaned back in the large, leather armchair, careful not to jar her awake. Feeling his own fatigue beginning to creep in, he let his eyes drift shut, content to have Laura warm and safe and whole in his arms.  
  
Whether by the will of the gods or by a stroke of good old-fashioned luck, she was well, and he was determined to go to the ends of the universe to keep her that way. Every moment spent with her was a gift he would not take for granted, and he promised to make sure he proved that to her every day.  
  
An affirmation of her life.  
  
An affirmation of his love.  
  
End.


End file.
